How To Remove Fileisafe@tuta.io Ironhead Ransomware

If your documents are encrypted with a ironhead extension, then your PC is infected with the Scarab ransomware.

Scarab is a file-encrypting ransomware, which encrypts the personal documents found on victim’s computer, then displays a message which offers to decrypt the data if a payment in Bitcoin is made. The instructions are placed on the victims desktop in the How to restore encrypted files.txt file.

Image: Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead Ransomware

We cannot help your recover your files, and we recommend that you use ShadowExplorer or free file recovery software to restore your documents.

This guide was written to help you remove the infection itself, and if a 100% proven method to recover the encrypted files is found we will update this guide.

There is no decryption tool available for the Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead ransomware. However, you can try to search these sites for updates:

1. How did the Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead ransomware get on my computer?

The Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead ransomware is distributed via spam email containing infected attachments or links to malicious websites. Cyber-criminals spam out an email, with forged header information, tricking you into believing that it is from a shipping company like DHL or FedEx. The email tells you that they tried to deliver a package to you, but failed for some reason. Sometimes the emails claim to be notifications of a shipment you have made. Either way, you can’t resist being curious as to what the email is referring to – and open the attached file (or click on a link embedded inside the email). And with that, your computer is infected with the Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead ransomware.

2. What is Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead ransomware?

Ransomware family: Scarab Ransomware

Added Extensions: ironhead

Ransomware note: How to restore encrypted files.txt

Ransom: From $500 to $1500 (in Bitcoins)

Contact: fileisafe@tuta.io or fileisafe@protonmail.com

The Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead ransomware restricts access to data by encrypting files. It then attempts to extort money from victims by asking for “ransom”, in form of Bitcoin cryptocurrency, in exchange for access to data.

The Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead ransomware targets all versions of Windows including Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. This infection is notable due to how it encrypts the user’s files – namely, it uses AES-265 and RSA encryption method – in order to ensure that the affected user has no choice but to purchase the private key.

When the Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead ransomware is first installed on your computer it will create a random named executable in the %AppData% or %LocalAppData% folder. This executable will be launched and begin to scan all the drive letters on your computer for data files to encrypt.

Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead ransomware searches for files with certain file extensions to encrypt. The files it encrypts include important productivity documents and files such as .doc, .docx, .xls, .pdf, among others. When these files are detected, this infection will change the extension to ironhead, so they are no longer able to be opened. Scarab ransomware changes the name of each encrypted file to the following format: ironhead.

Files targeted are those commonly found on most PCs today; a list of file extensions for targeted files include:

Once your files are encrypted with the ironhead extension, the Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead ransomware will create the How to restore encrypted files.txt file ransom note in each folder that a file has been encrypted and on the Windows desktop.

These files are located in every folder that a file was encrypted as well as in the user’s Startup folder so that they are automatically displayed when a user logs in. These files will contain the information on how to access the payment site and get your files back.

When the infection has finished scanning your computer it will also delete all of the Shadow Volume Copies that are on the affected computer. It does this so that you cannot use the shadow volume copies to restore your encrypted files.

When Scarab ransomware infects your computer it will scan all the drive letters for targeted file types, encrypt them, and then append the ironhead extension to them. Once these files are encrypted, they will no longer able to be opened by your normal programs. When this ransomware has finished encrypting the victim’s files, it will display a ransom note that include instructions on how to make a pay the ransomware.

The messages displayed by this ransomware infection can be localized depending on the user’s location, with text written in the appropriate language.

This is the message that the Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead ransomware (How to restore encrypted files.txt) will display:

Your files are now encrypted!

Your personal identifier:

All your files have been encrypted due to a security problem with your PC.

Now you should send us email with your personal identifier. This email will be as confirmation you are ready to pay for decryption key. You have to pay for decryption in Bitcoins. The price depends on how fast you write to us. After payment we will send you the decryption tool that will decrypt all your files.

Contact us using this email address: fileisafe@tuta.io or fileisafe@protonmail.com

Free decryption as guarantee!

Before paying you can send us up to 3 files for free decryption. The total size of files must be less than 5Mb (non archived), and files should not contain valuable information (databases, backups, large excel sheets, etc.).

How to obtain Bitcoins? * The easiest way to buy bitcoins is LocalBitcoins site. You have to register, click ‘Buy bitcoins’, and select the seller by payment method and price: hxxps://localbitcoins.com/buy_bitcoins * Also you can find other places to buy Bitcoins and beginners guide here: hxxp://www.coindesk.com/information/how-can-i-buy-bitcoins

Attention! * Do not rename encrypted files. * Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software, it may cause permanent data loss. * Decryption of your files with the help of third parties may cause increased price (they add their fee to our) or you can become a victim of a scam.

4. Is it possible to decrypt files encrypted with the Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead ransomware?

No, at this time it’s not possible to recover the files encrypted by the Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead malware.

Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead ransomware is notable due to how it encrypts the user’s files – namely, it uses AES-265 and RSA encryption method – in order to ensure that the affected user has no choice but to purchase the private key. The RSA public key can only be decrypted with its corresponding private key. Since the AES key is hidden using RSA encryption and the RSA private key is not available, decrypting the files is not feasible as of this writing.

Brute forcing the decryption key is not realistic due to the length of time required to break an AES encryption key. Unfortunately, once the Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead encryption of the data is complete, decryption is not feasible without paying the ransom. Because the needed private key to unlock the encrypted file is only available through the cyber criminals, victims may be tempted to purchase it and pay the exorbitant fee. However, doing so may encourage these bad guys to continue and even expand their operations. We strongly suggest that you do not send any money to these cyber criminals, and instead address to the law enforcement agency in your country to report this attack.

It’s important to understand that by starting the removal process you risk losing your files, as we cannot guarantee that you will be able to recover them. Furthermore, your files may be permanently compromised when trying to remove this infection or trying to recover the encrypted documents.

This page is a comprehensive guide, which will remove the Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead infection from your computer, however we cannot guarantee that your personal files will be recovered. We cannot be held responsible for losing the documents during this removal process. Malwarebytes and HitmanPro can detect and remove this infection, but these programs cannot recover your encrypted files.

Malwarebytes is one of the most popular and most used anti-malware software for Windows, and for good reasons. It is able to destroy many types of malware that other software tends to miss, without costing you absolutely nothing. When it comes to cleaning up an infected device, Malwarebytes has always been free and we recommend it as an essential tool in the fight against malware.

The first time you install Malwarebytes, you’re given a free 14-day trial of the premium edition, which includes preventative tools like real-time scanning and specific protection from ransomware. After two weeks, it automatically reverts to the basic free version that will detect and clean up malware infections only when you run a scan. It is important to note that Malwarebytes will run alongside antivirus software without conflicts.

When Malwarebytes has finished downloading, double-click on the mb3-setup-consumer-x.x.x.xxxx.exe file to install Malwarebytes on your PC. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.

You may be presented with an User Account Control pop-up asking if you want to allow Malwarebytes to make changes to your device. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.

Follow the on-screen prompts to install Malwarebytes.

When the Malwarebytes installation begins, you will see the Malwarebytes Setup Wizard which will guide you through the installation process. To install Malwarebytes on your PC, click on the “Agree and Install” button.

Click on “Scan Now”.

Once installed, Malwarebytes will automatically start and update the antivirus database. To perform a system scan, click on the “Scan Now” button.

Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.

Malwarebytes will now start scanning your computer for adware and other malicious programs. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.

Click on “Quarantine Selected”.

When the scan has completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes has detected. To remove the malicious programs that Malwarebytes has found, click on the “Quarantine Selected” button.

Reboot your computer.

Malwarebytes will now remove all the malicious files and registry keys that it has found. To complete the malware removal process, Malwarebytes may ask you to restart your computer. When the malware removal process is complete, you can close Malwarebytes and continue with the rest of the instructions.

STEP 2: Use HitmanPro to scan for malware and unwanted programs

HitmanPro is a second opinion scanner that takes a unique cloud-based approach to malware scanning. HitmanPro scans the behavior of active files and also files in locations where malware normally resides for suspicious activity. If it finds a suspicious file that’s not already known, HitmanPro sends it to the their clouds to be scanned by two of the best antivirus engines today, which are Bitdefender and Kaspersky.

Although HitmanPro is shareware and costs $24.95 for 1 year on 1 PC, there is actually no limit in scanning. The limitation only kicks in when there is a need to remove or quarantine detected malware by HitmanPro on your system and by then, you can activate the one time 30 day trial to enable the clean up.

When HitmanPro has finished downloading, double-click on “hitmanpro.exe” (for 32-bit versions of Windows) or “hitmanpro_x64.exe” (for 64-bit versions of Windows) to install this program on your PC. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the Downloads folder.

You may be presented with an User Account Control pop-up asking if you want to allow HitmanPro to make changes to your device. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.

Follow the on-screen prompts.

When HitmanPro starts you will be presented with the start screen as shown below. Click on the “Next” button to perform a system scan.

Wait for the HitmanPro scan to complete.

HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for malicious programs. This process will take a few minutes.

Click on “Next”.

When HitmanPro has finished the scan, it will display a list of all the malware that the program has found. Click on the “Next” button to remove the malicious programs.

Click on “Activate free license”.

Click on the “Activate free license” button to begin the free 30 days trial and remove all the malicious files from your PC. When the process is complete, you can close HitmanPro and continue with the rest of the instructions.

Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead will attempt to delete all shadow copies when you first start any executable on your computer after becoming infected. Thankfully, the infection is not always able to remove the shadow copies, so you should continue to try restoring your files using this method.

You can download ShadowExplorer from the below link:SHADOW EXPLORER DOWNLOAD LINK(This link will open a new web page from where you can download “ShadowExplorer”)

Once you have downloaded and installed ShadowExplorer, you can follow the below video guide on how to restore your files while using this program.

When the files are encrypted with the .Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead, this ransomware first makes a copy of them, encrypts the copy, and then deletes the original. Due to this you can use file recovery software such as:

How to prevent your computer from becoming infected by Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead ransomware

To protect your computer from the Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead ransomware, you should always have an antivirus installed on your computer and always have a backup for your personal documents. As an extra protection method, you can use programs called HitmanPro.Alert which will prevent any file encrypting malware from running.

Your PC should now be free of the Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead ransomware infection. If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove Fileisafe@tuta.io ironhead ransomware from your device, please do one of the following:

HitmanPro.Alert prevents good programs from being exploited, stops ransomware from running, and detects a host of different intruders by analyzing their behavior. HitmanPro.Alert will run alongside your current antivirus without any issues.

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